Efficiency of medication

[Court]

I know I have said it before that my meds are not reliable. I am now finding that when they don't work when they are supposed to, they will suddenly kick in just before my next dose is due.

Also, after taking them, they will kick in, wear off sooner than they should, kick in again and so it goes on. They never seem to have a pattern, though are usually better in the mornings. I was gardening yesterday and they wore off before I had finished.

I know I probably need them increasing, or even changing, when I go for my appointment later this week. but was wondering whether anyone else had experienced episodes like these? I could then tell my Consultant that I was not alone in this experience,

[Hidden]

They might add comtan

[ronn]

Sue, Wish I could give you something more worthwhile to take to your appointment but I only take half your dosage of agonist with no secondary med and am not sure I've ever experienced my meds suddenly "kicking in" or "wearing off". Guess it's time to wise up and start paying attention. I do have a request in to my neurologist, asking to double the current dosage of 3mg. Ropinirole.

Good luck at your appointment. Hope you are able to get what you need.

[etterus]

I can experience this also. The last visit I had with the Mohamed ali research center, they stated that it is time to consider DBS.

[merlethegirl]

I'm going through the same with my medicine. It doesn't kick in or it wears off or doesn't work at all. I never know . I did some research but have tried everything from increasing my dosage of sinemet to every 2 hours, taking a slow release an hour after 2 25-100 tabs. Nothing works....I went to the Dr. and I'm going to start taking Comtan. If that doesn't work..it's DBS. My Dr. is checking out Dr.'s now to find the best neuro. Good Luck!

[wifeofparky in reply to merlethegirl]

Do you wait two hours after you eat protein before taking your meds especially sinemet? Protein interferes with the recptors in the gut. Try watching what and when you eat and when you take your meds.

[Balderdash]

So many variables in your body on a day to day basis,and of course different generics can upset the balance,because there are variabilities.Diet,what you eat and food timing are all important.Things that we all know but often dont practice until we have to.Diet is probably the one we neglect the most,but I suppose we are never really informed much on that if at all at appointments.Dairy products can reduce drug delivery by as much as 30%.Fluid retention caused by meds or hormone cycle seems to effect to,but a diuretic resolves the problem.Chocolate must cross the blood brain barrier it definitley bridges the gap sometimes for me when on doesnt happen on time.Water is the critical one. If your thirsty your already dehydrated,normal muscle function can be reduced by as much as 30% and cognition suffers to .Then theres sleep and fatigue.Its like juggling balls every day,sometimes you find a reason sometimes you dont .Learn what you can from others,share information,it may help someone.Maybe a slow release preparation would help smooth out your on time sue.I tried ropinerole xl it never touched me so went back to standard However my first dose of sinemet is slow release 50/200 and ordinary 12.5/50 at the end of the day .I take requip in between these.Takes a while to get it right and the pain in the backside is when we do we know its not going to last,its tough we deserve a lot more credit than we give ourselves for coping with this illness,its a daily commando course.

[moonswife]

Once again, Balderdash was on point. Many things affect Rx being able to do it's intended job. Fatigue level, diet; both what and when consumed, General wellness. (flu or a cold impact) Stress a big factor. If your gut is in a knot, like after you are nearly hit by another car, hard for the pills to digest. Your dog dies, you grieve. Emotions make a difference. Dehydration big factor. The weather, especially heat.

Try tracking just five days of your life. You gave a clue when you said you were gardening and meds wore off. Fatigue? Exertion? Was it hot?, Did I avoid protein, but get some carbs before dose? Was dose on time. How did I sleep in the last 24 hours. Am I drinking extra water?

[PatV]

All of the above. I no longer take meds by the clock. My body tells me when I need. It might be every 2 hours, it might be every 5. I sneak in a half a sinemet CR when in doubt like right before going to the store. Once I was getting ready for bed and wondered why my toes were curling. I looked in my pill dispenser and realized I had missed my last dose. Took it then and was fine!